Reds should make a bold run at Yankees coach after Derek Johnson's exit

When David Bell was hired as the Cincinnati Reds manager in 2018, he made a bold addition to his coaching staff by luring pitching coach Derek Johnson away from the Milwaukee Brewers. Perhaps it's time for the Reds to make another flashy addition to their coaching staff and coax New York Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake away from the Bronx.

The Yankees currently face a 1-0 deficit in the ALDS after dropping Game 1 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Once New York's season is up, so is Blake's contract. In 2022, he signed a three-year extension to remain on as the Yankees pitching coach. The team exercised a club-option to keep him in that same role this season, but have yet to sign him to a new deal.

The 41-year-old has overseen the Yankees' pitching staff since 2019, but prior to that, he spent time with Terry Francona's previous organization, the Cleveland Guardians. Blake was hired to be a minor-league pitching coordinator for the Guardians in 2015, and was promoted to the assistant director of pitching development in 2016. He joined the Yankees three years later.

Could the Reds lure Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake to Cincinnati?

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have every intention of retaining Blake as the team's pitching coach after the season. This is unsurprising considering how well New York's staff has performed in 2026. The Yankees ranked first in team ERA (3.24) this season, and were among the top-7 in almost every other major category.

A lot of the team's success can be attributed to the outstanding season of the likely 2026 AL Cy Young award-winner, Cam Schlittler. The 25-year-old righty has a 1.95 ERA, 2.56 FIP, and a 31.4% strikeout rate this season. Only Milwaukee Brewers' ace Jacob Misiorowski (6.6) has a higher fWAR than Schlittler (6.2) this season.

Cincinnati has already interviewed two internal candidates for the vacancy, with both bullpen coach Oscar Marin and assistant pitching coach Matt Tracy having thrown their names into the hat. The club is also looking to hire a new Director of Pitching — a role Johnson filled in addition to his assignment as the Reds' major league pitching coach.

This is hire the Reds have to get right, and they should leave no stone unturned. Admittedly, coaxing Blake away from the Yankees is a lot different than luring Johnson away from the Brewers. Nevertheless, the Reds should still make a run at it. The worst thing Blake can say is, no.

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